The
New York Senate shot down legislation that would allow gay marriage 38-24 after two hours of emotional debate Wednesday, according to the New
York Daily News.

Activists
hoped that New York would become the sixth U.S. state to allow gay marriage,
according to Reuters.

Five
U.S. states have approved same-sex civil unions, and 31 have explicitly voted
down gay marriage, The New York Daily News said

New
York Governor David Paterson said he would have signed the legislation had it
appeared on his desk, Reuters said.In New York's Democrat-controlled Assembly, legislation to allow gay
marriage has passed three times.Wednesday
was the first time the vote was put to the Senate.

As politically-liberal voters,
polls show that a majority of New Yorkers have been found in favor of legalizing gay marriage, according to Reuters.

The
federal stimulus watchdog said he would not vouch for the White House's claim
that the stimulus saved or created 640,000 jobs Thursday.

Earl
Devaney, whose agency produced the data, said under questioning that accounting
for job creation with reports filed by recipients of stimulus money was
error-prone, according to the Associated Press.

He
added the administration should have been more skeptical of the numbers when it
announced that the stimulus was on track with its goal of creating or saving
3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010, according to the AP.

Devaney
told officials that missing reports and inaccuracies in reporting could drive
job numbers above or below the projected 640,000, the New York Times said.

Rep.
David Obey, D-Wisc., an author of the stimulus bill, called the data mistakes
"ludicrous," according to the NY Times.

A
report by the Government Accountability Office found many jobs reported by
agencies that had not reported spending any of their stimulus money, and many agencies
that received large sums of money reporting no job creation, according to the
NY Times.

Devaney
said that the downside to the transparency of the federal stimulus was embarrassment,
according to the AP.

Rep.
Anh "Joseph" Cao, R-La., was the only House Republican to vote in favor of the
Democratic health care overhaul Saturday, according to CNN.

Cao
made his decision after a personal call from President Barack Obama around noon
on Saturday, CNN said.

The
final vote on the health care bill came down to 220 to 215 in favor, Newsweek
said.

Despite
Republican criticism, Cao said he made "the right decision based on my
conscience"--he supported the bill only after the addition of an amendment that
banned coverage of most abortions under the public option, according to
CNN.

Cao
represents one of the most impoverished regions of southern Louisiana, which
includes areas that surround New Orleans, an area still recovering from
Hurricane Katrina, Newsweek said.

Michelle
Obama launched a mentoring program to give local high school girls
a chance to connect to the White House, the Associated Press said.

To
kick off the program, thirteen girls met with mentors at the White House to
kick off the program Monday, the AP said.The program has been a goal of Michelle Obama's since becoming first
lady.

The
program, now in early stages, intends to match 20 high school girls with 20
mentors, the AP said.The mentors
will be senior women from the White House staff, the Washington Post said.

The
students were chosen by their high school principals as girls who could benefit
from the program, the AP said.They
will meet with their mentors once a month through August at the White House.

Michelle
Obama has often talked about the importance of role models in her life, the
Washington Post said.She told the
girls that she expects that they, too, become mentors in the lives of children,
the AP said.

The
White House intends to start a similar program for boys, according to the
Washington Post.

Senate majority leader Harry Reid said Monday that he would
include a contentious government-run plan in the health care legislation that is
expected to reach the Senate floor within a few weeks, according to the New
York Times.

Currently,
the bill gives states the freedom to adopt laws to opt out of the reform, the
New York Times said.

Democrats
argue that a public health care option will lower costs and create competition
in the health insurance market, according to Reuters.Republicans call it a government takeover that will hurt
private insurance companies, Reuters said.

Senate
Republicans are united in opposition to any bill that includes a public option,
according to the New York Times.Democrats will need all 58 Democratic votes in the Senate and at least
two Independent or Republican votes to reach 60 votes to pass the legislation,
the New York Times said.

Democrats
appear to be short of these numbers, as several caucus members have not
committed to a vote yet, the New York Times said.

President
Obama is pleased that a public option will be included in the bill, Reuters
said, though he does not consider it a mandatory part of health care reform.

House
of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that the Democrat-drafted
health care overhaul would reduce the budget deficit over 10 years and cost
less than the target price tag of $900 billion, Reuters said.

Three
separate health care reform bills were analyzed for cost-effectiveness by the
Congressional Budget Office and are now in the process of being merged, Reuters
said.According to Nancy Pelosi,
all three cost less than $900 billion.

As
of now, a core component of all three bills is the "individual mandate," which
requires all Americans to have health insurance, according to CBS News.Many Republicans are opposed to the
individual mandate, CBS said.

Pelosi
said that the final bill would include a government-run insurance option,
Reuters said.

The
challenge for Democrats, according to CBS, will be to facilitate the expansion
of health care insurance without going over $900 billion, however, Pelosi said
that Democrats would not bring forward a bill that didn't meet President Obama's
target cost.

Conservative
talk show host Rush Limbaugh has made a bid on the St. Louis Rams, Salon said
Wednesday.

Limbaugh
lost his job as a sports commentator on ESPN after making racially charged
comments about a Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Salon said.

NFL
Commissioner Roger Goodell said it would be inappropriate for the owner of an
NFL franchise to make the sort of controversial statements Limbaugh does,
according to the Washington Post.

The
Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have publicly opposed the idea of Limbaugh
owning the team, according to Salon.In
addition, several NFL players have said they would not play for a team owned by
Limbaugh, the Washington Post said.

The
current team owners have not yet made a decision to sell control of the team,
Salon said.

President
Obama outlined his health care plan to an audience of doctors from across the
country in a televised event at the White House Monday, according to the
Associated Press.

Obama
made his address to the 150 doctors in the White House Rose Garden.He said that his overhaul plan would
benefit medical professionals as much as it would benefit patients, according
to the New York Times.

Many
of the doctors were members of Doctors for America, an outgrowth of Doctors for
Obama, a group that worked to elect the president, said the New York Times.

The
Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on the legislation later this
week, according to the New York Times.

Amendments
to the legislation have reduced penalties for not carrying insurance, The AP
reported.It is now expected to
grant coverage to 92 percent to 93 percent of Americans, down from 95 percent in
earlier versions, the AP said.

The
Senate Finance Committee is expected to approve its health care bill later this
week.

Under
the plan, supported by President Obama, millions of uninsured Americans would receive
subsidized health care benefits, and the government would regulate the growth
of health spending, according to the New York Times.

Obama
stressed that, when passed, the health care reform will help small businesses
and create jobs, according to the New York Times.

At
$900 billion over 10 years, the reform would meet Obama's requirement for
offsetting spending increases by taxing those who refuse to buy insurance and
limiting fees payable to doctors and hospitals under Medicare, the Los Angeles
Times said.

Democrats
need 60 votes to bypass a possible filibuster by Republicans in the Senate, the
New York Times said, and Republicans intend to fight the reform.

After
the bill is approved, full debate is expected to begin mid-October, and last
for two weeks, in which Republicans are expected to propose amendments, the Los
Angeles Times said.